Friday, 18th June 2021
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Section One: V1-3 Sheba
David’s attitude changed from a mourning father to a fearful king with his own plans. Joab brought fears to David, and even though on the appearance everything seemed to be back in order, but many problems within were emerging. David thought if he appointed Amasa to replace Joab then he won’t be controlled by Joab, but this is a plan without God. David changed but God still kept His covenant for him.
When David returned to Jerusalem, not all the people came to welcome him, there was no longer unity in Israel. In fact, there was a rebellious influence in the whole Israel, and when Sheba called, many people left David except for the Tribe of Judah. David didn’t let go of his it s own way and he didn’t follow God’s way. So Sheba became the first problem when David is back to king, even he was a nobody, he had the influence for Israelites not to follow David.
David knew he could never come close to his concubines, who stayed back, because Absalom already defined them. But he didn’t deal with them because of his fear, instead he kept them in his temple to live like widows.
Section Two: V4-13 Amasa
David wanted Amasa to take over Joab because he could not trust Joab anymore. He gave Amasa three days to gather the people. But Amasa looked at this mission too lightly, he delayed David’s time. David was full of fear when Amasa was late, so he turned to Abishai, Joab’s brother, instead.
Amasa was not paying full attention, and he underestimated Joab. Even when Joab came close to Amasa, his sword fell out, but Amasa was not alert at all! Not only Amasa looked lightly at David’s mission, he was also ignorance about Joab’s plan, and this costed his life.
David’s fear of Joab caused Amasa’s death. A fearful authority leads fearful followers because Joab was also in fear as he tried so hard to hold onto his position as the captain. When Amasa was killed, everyone was shocked and didn’t know what to do. Joab took over the leadership and called the people to follow him.
When sin enters our life and if we don’t deal with it, it will take over us. Uriah’s death created a gap in David’s life, he lived in fear since then and his followers also lived in fear.
Section Three: V14-26 Joab
Abishai should be calling the people together but Joab stood up and people followed him. He was like a bomb next to David, he didn’t see the king as his authority. Joab was disobedient and he did whatever he pleased. He was a servant but because of David’s fear, Joab stood up and called himself the leader.
God will not want us to live in fear and if we live in God’s way then we will not be afraid. David was not living in God’s way, so when he returned back to Jerusalem, he faced many problems. David was afraid of dealing with his concubine, and he was afraid of the Israelites. Shiva, Amasa, Abishai and Joab all became David’s snares. We can never solve our problems in lives in we continue to live in fear and not in the way of God.
On the other had, Joab was afraid of losing his position as the captain, he was in a ‘doing’ mode, trying to gather all the people to follow him instead of David. It was also another problem David was facing that became like a cancer later on. We should not hold onto things or try to control the situations because only God sees the full picture of our problems, and only He has the answer to everything! How can we take away our fear and live in God’s way? Humility and obedience is the key, when we learn to humble and obey our authority, deny ourselves and benefit others, then God can show us the way out and we will no longer live in fear!
Prayer & Pursuit
Are we willing to obey God’s leadership and not look at the environment? Do we believe God will prepare for us? There’s no fear in obedience because God is powerful!
Lord, we admit that we’re afraid, our actions might solve the problem in front of us but when we are in fear we’ll go into failures. Take away our fear, Lord, in our financial situation, our health, our family, and how others see us. Help us to see Your peace is above everything , and help us to live the image You’ve created us to be. Thank You, Lord, for showing us Your Way; bless us, Lord, to be under Your cover and protection always, so we will no longer live in fear. Amen.
2021年6月18日 星期五
-潘锡安牧师-
撒母耳记下20
大卫的惧怕所带来的问题
这次当大卫再次回耶稣撒冷作王时，他让祭司找犹大支派来迎接他（撒下19章），这跟他以前在希伯伦等候神不一样。表面上，约押在帮大卫，实际上，大卫是在惧怕中做出本能的反应。神给我们呼召和能力，但当我们没有谦卑回应神的时候，生命就会遇到很多危机。大卫在回到耶路撒冷的期间，遇到很多从人而来的危机。
一、示巴（v.1-3）
当人迎接大卫回耶路撒冷时，纷争就在其中开始了。当我们没有走在神的同在中时，虽然事情可能表面上是顺利的，但中间会出现很多问题。大卫收买人心，让亚玛撒代替约押，似乎就可以不再受约押的辖制了，结果一个籍籍无名的便雅悯人示巴就起来叛变，“于是以色列人都离开大卫”。以色列众支派宁愿去跟随一个毫无名气的卑鄙小人，听上去十分没有道理。
V2b “跟随”在这里指紧紧地贴着。在这个时刻，唯有犹大人愿意紧紧地贴着大卫。
V3 大卫在律法上知道不能与这些妃嫔乱伦，但他自己并非活在生命树下。他害怕别人对他的指点，没有放走这些妃嫔，只是将她们困在冷宫里。
二、亚玛撒（v.4-13)
V5 大卫本来要重用亚玛撒，可是亚玛撒执行任务时耽延了。这可看出亚玛撒没有时间观念，做事不认真。
V6 从大卫的回答看出，大卫活在惧怕中，他的惧怕反而害死了亚玛撒。
V8-11 大卫所重用的亚玛撒不仅是一个不在乎时间的人，也没有在乎约押这一群人到来，不警惕约押手里拿着刀，结果被杀死了。大卫的惧怕影响了手下的约押，使约押也在惧怕中行事。大卫以为可以帮到亚玛撒，结果引发了更多的问题。
V11 这里“跟随”是指跟在约押后面。以色列的新元帅突然被杀了，可是，大家只是跟随杀人凶手约押。当我们没有借着圣灵好好处理我们生命中的罪，我们的生命就会不断出现问题。
三、约押（v.14-26)
V14-16 召聚的工作本来是亚玛撒的，结果被约押替代 – 他目中无王，成为权柄身边的定时炸弹。
大卫一生英明，但晚节不保，因为他惧怕约押。约押讲的话（19：5-7）威胁到了大卫，于是王因着恐惧而“起来”，可是大卫忘了，约押并不是传神话语的先知。大卫虽然得以进入耶路撒冷，然而问题不断发生，因为在惧怕中人不能真正解决问题。大卫没有好像之前那样愿意等候耶和华神的时刻，于是不同的人在不同阶段给他带来伤害。
V22 以色列众人做完事情之后，都不想去亲近大卫王，只是“各归各家”。大卫已经不是曾经那个被人唱着“大卫杀死万万”而拥戴的王了。
我们是否尝试操控我们生命中问题？我们是否像大卫、约押那样惧怕、亦或是像亚玛撒那样不在乎不警觉？神给了我们圣灵，帮助我们看到问题。唯有顺服神才能拿走惧怕，因为有神在我们这边，我们还惧怕谁呢？
*追求：
我们是否真的愿意降服在神的带领下吗？是否愿意不看环境跟从神？是否相信神会为我们预备？圣灵光照我们，让我们看到我们里面有很多不信，是因为我们的惧怕。让我们一起勇敢面对自己的惧怕。在顺服里面是没有惧怕的。求神帮助我们驱走里面一切的惧怕，让我们相信，唯有相信和交托才能得到上好的福分。
求主帮助我们不再靠自己的力量去躲避惧怕的人或事，帮助我们学习顺服和信靠主！谢谢主让我们愿意降服，选择主的道路。祝福弟兄姐妹在主的带领下得享平安和主的同在。奉耶稣基督的名祷告，阿们！